Past encounters: Riley vs Ian
by master of toast
Summary: set pre-Charlotte. Riley/Ben brotherly fluff. Deticated to PropheticIllusion. I OWN NOTHING! teen b/c i feel like it.


A/N: Hi everyone!!! This fic is for PropheticIllusion because she made a Deviantart account for me. Squee!

_I wonder when Ben will get back with those groceries. _Riley stood and walked from the table. Placing his empty dishes in his sink he left the room. That's right _his_ sink. Ian Ben and him were all staying in _his _apartment. Not that Ian cared. He had commandeered the guest room and Riley out of respect for Ben had given up his room. He was sleeping in the walk in closet off his (or you could call it Ben's) room. It was hell with Ian there.

"Hey worthless!" Speak of the devil. Ian's call had come from the living room where Riley's main computer system was. Ian needed Riley to hack something _again._

Riley walked into the room to find Ian sitting on _his _sofa with his feet up on the table. Riley scowled but didn't say anything.

"What?" He said angrily. Ian just handed him the computer.

"Fix it, retard," he said simply. Riley did. He stood to leave and tripped. Ian's foot was stuck out.

"How clumsy Riley." Ian said haughtily. Riley's blood boiled.

"Maybe you should get you big ugly foot out of the way!" Riley spat back. _Oh bad idea! Now you made him mad you idiot! _Rileykicked himself mentally for being so stupid. In two seconds Ian was on top of him. Riley squirmed and struggled with no avail. Ian pulled him to his feet. Riley broke free and wasted no time in dashing away but before he had even left the hall Ian was holding him against the wall.

"Apologize!" Ian growled. Riley fought back but stayed quiet. Ian slammed him against the wall and Riley felt a surge of pain rush from his head to his toes. Riley still said nothing. Ian Brought his fist back.

"Say it." Ian said evenly and yet again Riley held his council. _Not good not good! _Riley thought franticly. The fist rushed forth to meet his left eye. Riley cried out in pain. Ian let go and Riley slumped to the floor. Ian walked away leaving Riley alone on the hallway floor in tears. _You moron! How could you let him do that! What if Ben sees! _The last thought terrified him. Riley pulled him self up and rushed to the bathroom. He was going to cover the already forming black eye with makeup. _Well it's girly but effective. _He didn't notice the few drops of blood that splashed from his hair to the wall.

Riley was still in the bathroom when Ben returned.

"Hey Riley, Ian! I'm back" He called. Ben walked to the table and put down the food. Ian walked in and said cheerfully,

"Ben did you get the diet coke?"

"You bet Ian" Ben said. "And Riley's sunchips."

"Sunchips?" Ian said confused.

"Yeah his favorite" Ben replied. Riley walked out of the bathroom. Some concealer covered the bruise. However Riley was still not aware that he had cut his head in the scuffle with Ian. Ian was also oblivious to this fact.

"Hey Ben. I heard you got my chips. Thanks." Riley said quickly. There was a nervous edge to his tone. But Ben pushed that thought aside.

"Riley can I have some of your chips?" Ian said. _Oh no you don't Ian they are my chips! My special chips! _Ian smiled. Riley only shuddered. Ian glanced pointedly at Ben then raised an eyebrow.

"Sure. Do whatever you want" Riley sighed. _Not that you already don't anyway. _

That's when Ben picked up that something was wrong. Ian walked off with chips smirking and Ben turned to his best friend. _Crap. Ben knows something's wrong._

Ben had concern and confusion written on his face.

"What's wrong man? Last time I checked anyone who touched your chips was doomed." Ben said.

"Ahh… Come on Ben he's part of the group now. I have to be nice to him." Riley mumbled timidly.

"You don't even let ME eat those chips." Ben countered. He placed his hand against the wall but pulled back when he felt something wet and sticky. He looked and his heart skipped a beat when he realized that the stain on the wall was blood. _NOT GOOD AT ALL! NOW HE'LL WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED!!!!_

"Riley is that… what I think it is?" Ben said gently. Riley was white as a sheet.

"Uh. No it's so obviously not. How can you not realize it's really toast in disguise?" Riley said anxiously. He fiddled nervously with his sweatshirt. Ben looked the younger man over apprehensively. As Riley looked up at Ben a piece of hair slipped past his eye and Ben saw the edge of the black eye.

"Your eye!" Ben exclaimed a little too loudly.

"Shh!!!" Riley urged. _Oh god now I'm in too deep. Someone save me. Crap I'm thinking poetically!_ Ben tilted his head to the side, a habit he had when he was concerned. Riley sighed there was no way to avoid coming clean now.

"Come with me." He said almost inaudibly. He reached over and pulled Ben at the wrist into his (Ben's) bedroom. Ben stood and looked around. It always amazed him to see how much stuff Riley had on his walls. There were posters from every possible thing; Hand drawn comics Riley had made himself, pages from computer manuals, and even a few playbills. Riley sat on the floor head on his knees.

"I'm so sorry Ben. This is all my fault. Maybe if I followed orders…" Riley trailed off. Ben dropped to his knees beside his best friend. He placed a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Followed orders? Riley talk to me. What's wrong?" Ben asked. Riley looked up.

"Nothing Ben. Me and Ian just don't get along." He murmured into his knees. Ben didn't believe that for a second. Ben licked his thumb and tried to wipe the poorly applied concealer off.

"Ben!" Riley said in protest. He squirmed but Ben still got most of the concealer off. Riley held his to his eye and leapt to his feet. He looked pale and afraid. The usual sarcastic smile was nowhere to be seen.

"Dude!" Riley said angrily. Ben shook his head sadly.

"Why didn't you tell me? Riley he hurt you," Ben said gently. Riley shook his head vigorously.

"No Ben please don't say anything please!" He begged. His eyes were wide and his whole body shook.

"Did he threaten you Riley?" Ben pressed. Riley looked up and met Ben's eyes for the first time. He looked like he was trying to communicate a deep meaning.

"He did sort of but not really. He said if I don't stay quiet about things he pull out and we'd have no funding. And Ben I've almost found the Charlotte, Ben _The Charlotte_. This could be it. We need Ian." Riley said; there was obvious feeling in his words. Ben walked over to Riley and placed a hand on his shoulder. Riley looked up with pleading eyes.

"What about this?" Ben said as he pressed his hand gently against Riley's bruised eye. Riley pulled back. "Ben it's just… it's nothing. If we don't we can't… It's fine really."

"Riley you're my best friend. How can I just sit back and let this happen?" Be asked quietly. It was the first time he had ever called Riley his best friend. Riley beamed but the smile ended quickly.

"Ben… I'm fine two more days and then he'll be out of the way. I… well I was gonna tell you at dinner but I found Charlotte. When we find the treasure we won't have to worry about him anymore." Riley said hesitantly.

"You found it!" Ben exclaimed. Riley nodded.

"Ben we only need him to pay for the trip down there. Then he's gone. No problem." Riley urged. Be still wasn't pleased but saw the logic.

"This is really the worst he's ever done. I swear." Riley said solemnly. Ben looked very unsure about things.

"Two days Riley. Fight back or I'll kill Ian." Ben said gravely. Riley only nodded. This would not be the last conflict with Ian and they both knew it.


End file.
